WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has claimed that Vince McMahon prevented him from appearing in a huge Hollywood Blockbuster film.
Angle, who made a guest appearance on last week’s RAW, joined WWE in 1999 but would ultimately leave in 2006.
During his podcast on AdFreeShows.com, Kurt claimed that he was set to be in 2001’s Pearl Harbor, a romantic drama retelling of the attack on the infamous U.S. naval base in December 1941.
Angle explained that he would have played the role of First Lieutenant/Captain Danny Walker, one of the leading roles.
“It was a blockbuster movie. I was one of the leading roles. They wanted me and WWE said no. It was Pearl Harbor. It was a guy that was the hero that died at the end. I didn’t see the movie, but I was told who it was gonna be.
“Unfortunately, they said no, and the reason, and I totally get it, Rock just left and Vince was putting everybody on lockdown. He wasn’t going to lose another wrestler to Hollywood.”
Kurt said that for the next five years, WWE blocked other wrestlers from possible movie roles, fearing of losing another star to the silver screen.
“Eventually, thank God, you know, it loosened up and then John Cena and Edge started getting movie roles, Batista, and everything started opening up.”
The role Angle would have gotten would later be played by Josh Hartnett.
Pearl Harbor won Best Sound Editing at that year’s Oscars and was nominated for Worst Picture, Actor (Ben Affleck) and Director (Michael Bay) at the Golden Raspberry awards.
